


And All These Things: A Barking Dog Winery Story

by pinkdiamonds



Series: The Barking Dog Winery [7]
Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Drama, Established Relationship, Family Drama, Kid Fic, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-08-25
Updated: 2011-08-25
Packaged: 2017-10-23 01:31:49
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,559
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/244761
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pinkdiamonds/pseuds/pinkdiamonds
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>John and Rodney's life is turned upside down.</p>
            </blockquote>





	And All These Things: A Barking Dog Winery Story

**Author's Note:**

> Cover art by Astroskylark.

### 

 

 

December 31

“Do we really have to wear our tuxes tonight?” Rodney wondered.

John lifted his mouth off his husband’s cock. “I must be losing my touch if you’re still talking through a blowjob,” he remarked, twisting the three fingers up Rodney’s ass with purpose.

Smiling with satisfaction when a deep groan followed, he bent back to Rodney’s leaking cock, licking delicately at the fluid before swallowing him down. Sucking up and down the shaft and rubbing firmly on Rodney’s prostate, John felt his own cock throbbing.

He felt heavy hands cupping his head as Rodney thrust into his mouth, trying to keep it shallow and missing. Any doubts John might have had about losing his touch were shattered as Rodney began moaning and babbling.

Rodney wasn’t always verbal during sex, but John loved it when he was. It was a shot of adrenaline to his libido hearing his altered voice moaning, “Fuck, John, suck me till I come in your mouth. Just like that, suck me.”

John fucked Rodney’s ass with his fingers, twisting his fingers and pushing into the short, hard thrusts, the heel of his hand pressed firmly on his husband’s perineum. He could see Rodney’s balls snugged tightly against his body and feel the throb of blood from the hard penis in his mouth.

Rodney stroked deeply a few more times before his body stiffened and he was spilling inside John’s mouth. John swallowed around the thick cock, sucking softly, gentling Rodney.

He felt those strong, capable hands dragging him up the bed, and warm slickness being poured onto his balls and aching cock. John spread his legs wide, loving how unprotected and dirty it felt.

Rodney spread the oil carefully, teasingly, until John was panting and writhing, searching for friction. Laying down next to John, he whispered filthy things in his ear, biting softly on his neck and grasped his swollen cock, pumping firmly.

John let Rodney do what he wanted as his hips thrust into the tight grip of his large hand. He could feel the sweat dewing his body and smell the musk from their arousal. Pulsing and throbbing, desperate to come, he groaned deeply, his entire body singing in ecstasy.

“I wanna come all over you,” John bit out and felt Rodney angle his penis. And hearing Rodney beg for him to come sent him flying over the edge.

Shuddering in the aftermath, Rodney gathered John close and whispered his love.

~0~

They stayed in bed, enjoying the lazy feel to the day. Jeannie would see to Sabrina’s breakfast and keep her and Madison occupied. Even though John knew his niece was capable of looking after herself for an hour or two, it made him feel less guilty about enjoying his husband a little longer.

“Do we really have to wear tuxes?” Rodney whined.

“You’ll feel pretty stupid if you’re the only one not dressed formally,” John lectured.

“Hmm, stupid? Like that’s possible. A bit out of place maybe, but at least I’ll be comfortable,” he teased his husband.

Hunger finally forced them out of bed where they discovered the rest of the family had only left their beds a short time ago. Jeannie was cooking waffles and the coffee was already brewed.

Jeannie and Kaleb discussed a few of the houses they were planning to look at this week, interested in John and Rodney’s opinion. They had packed up their house in Toronto when they’d gone home after Thanksgiving, putting it on the market.

Most of their belongings were now in storage, just waiting to be moved in as soon as they found a house they both liked. They would fly back to Toronto when the house there sold. Jeannie and Kaleb were grateful that Rodney and John were putting them up, but they were anxious to be on their own again. Hammond was giving them as much time as they needed, but they both wanted to start work as soon as possible.

The house that both John and Rodney preferred was a large ranch about a mile away. It sat on five acres and was in move-in condition according to their realtor. Jeannie wasn’t sure they needed so much land although Kaleb and Madison were lobbying hard for the large plot.

The family lingered over coffee as Madison and Sabrina described their dresses once again, pretending to swoon as they flitted around the table. They were still little girls, but it was almost too easy to see the women they were becoming.

Jeannie and Leah had taken the girls shopping for new dresses the day after Christmas. Jeannie hadn’t been able to talk Madison out of a frothy pink dress, enlisting Leah in the attempt. It was a very pretty dress, but it was just so damn pink. Sabrina’s dress was an elegant black and white and it was easy to see the absolute beauty she would be in a few short years. Both girls had decided on ballet slippers; white for Madison and black for Sabrina.

Heaving herself up from the table, Jeannie organized the girls to take care of the breakfast dishes while she began organizing lunch. She was defrosting and heating up holiday leftovers that the family would be able to pick on when they got hungry and more importantly, things that could mostly be eaten off paper plates.

“Why are you dong lunch now?” Rodney asked.

“Because, brother dear, at lunch time, I’ll be too busy to cook,” she replied.

“Doing what? I thought we agreed we were having a relaxing day,” he protested.

“We are. But, the girls and I still have to get ready for the party and I’d rather not be interrupted to make lunch,” she explained as though to an idiot.

“What’s so hard about putting on a dress?” Rodney asked reasonably.

“Don’t you ever listen when I talk?” she demanded.

“Umm, no?” he said meekly.

Snorting, John filled him in. “Winsome and Nicola are coming here with Zakia, Autumn, and Wynter at 2:00, at which point, hair and make-up will be done.”

“Oh, that reminds me. Make sure the three of you are showered by then,” she ordered.

“The party isn’t until 8:00. It can’t possible take six hours to do hair,” Rodney protested.

“A lot you know. Besides, us old people will end up napping at some point and if the kids are together, they’ll let us nap in peace,” she predicted.

~0~

They took three cars to the party; Winsome drove Nicola, Zakia, Autumn, and Wynter. Teal’c would be picking up Brad and would be taking Nicola back home, later on. A sleepover for the kids was planned as part of the party and Winsome, Brad, Jeannie, and Kaleb were staying to help supervise.

Kaleb and Jeannie took their car so they wouldn’t have to bother anyone for a ride home tomorrow. Sabrina and Madison had elected to ride with Rodney and John. Rodney was driving the Lexus, and they felt the luxury car fit the occasion and their dresses better than the Miller’s Prius.

Jeannie frowned, but she allowed the girls their snobby attitude for the evening. She would keep an eye on things to make sure this type of bratty behavior wasn’t becoming the norm.

They were only a few minutes late, but the party was already in full swing. Jack and Daniel were always genial hosts, but they had gone all out for this party. While not as large as the party they’d thrown after Thanksgiving, this was an elegant party that included people from all walks of life.

It was a fairly intimate affair of seventy-five guests; all of the people attending were well known to either Jack or Daniel, or both, and most of the guests were well acquainted with each other. The men were handsome and urbane in their tuxes and the women dazzling in their gowns.

The children would be having their own party in Autumn and Wynter’s playhouse. Jack and Daniel had invited a number of other children as well. The children would be served hot dogs, chicken fingers, mac and cheese, and chips. There were bowls of candy, and two waiters were assigned to both serve and keep an eye on the youngsters.

The adults menu was more sophisticated and included platters of sushi, clams and oysters, shucked and sitting on cracked ice, along with shrimp, and crab legs. Waiters were circling with platters of canapés and hors d'oeuvres. Wine and Champagne were available, and chilled glasses of top shelf vodka were poking through a bowl of ice. Pate, gourmet cheeses, and caviar completed the menu. Dessert was a large selection of miniature pastries and tiny cheesecakes in a wide assortment of flavors.

John and Rodney said their farewells along with the rest of the guests at around 2 AM. As they made their way to their car, they took a moment to drink in the peace of the winery.

The night was bitterly cold, but clear. The dormant vines were covered in frost, and sparkled from the thin light of the moon and stars, reflecting the lights that covered the almost delicate Victorian behind them. It looked like a scene in a snow globe and was nearly unworldly, but beautiful.

The children that were staying overnight had conked out an hour ago, much to everyone’s relief. Jack and Daniel had a full day planned for them tomorrow. John would be able to sleep peacefully knowing Sabrina was surrounded by her friends and other people who loved her.

### January

On New Year’s Day, John and Rodney once again spent the morning in bed. They made love slowly, exchanging slow, lingering kisses in the aftermath. When they could no longer ignore their empty bellies, the showered and fixed themselves a late breakfast of leftovers.

Rodney was glad Jeannie wasn’t there to complain over their odd breakfast choice. But, he figured, 11:30 was near enough to lunchtime to justify eating the hearty beef stew John had prepared and frozen a few days after Christmas.

They were cleaning up their late breakfast, when Bella began barking. The doorbell rang twice and John went to answer it. Surprised at their visitor, John stood speechless for a moment, staring in confusion.

“Happy New Year, John,” Hammond greeted him.

“Happy New Year to you too, sir. Come in,” John stepped aside to let Hammond in and directed him to the formal living room. “Can I get you something to eat, or a drink?”

“I wouldn’t say no to a Scotch,” George accepted the offer.

“I have Chivas, if you’d like. But, I also have three bottles of Talisker 25 my father brought with him this year. It’s quite good - - even Rodney approves,” John recommended.

“I understand they bottled less than 10,000 bottles of the 25,” George remarked.

“Under 7,000 actually,” John said.

“I’ll have a dram of that if you think your father wouldn’t mind,” Hammond chuckled.

Walking to the liquor cabinet, John teasingly assured his boss, “I’m sure he won’t miss a dram or two.”

While he was pouring the drinks, Rodney appeared. “Who was . . .? Oh, hi, George.”

“Rodney. Happy New Year,” George said.

“A shot of the Talisker 25?” John asked.

“Absolutely,” he accepted, taking one of the glasses to hand to George and seating himself on the couch across from the other man. John joined him, handing him his drink. He generally preferred Vodka, but he was developing a taste for the Talisker 25. “Happy New Year to you, as well.”

The three men sipped at their drinks, making appreciative noises. “The Millers and Sabrina are still at the winery?” George inquired.

“Yup. Apparently Jack has an entire day planned for the children and the adults,” John said, knowing that Tessa and Kayla were at the winery as well.

Nodding, George asked if Sabrina and Madison were ready to start school. There was a few minutes discussion about classes and teachers. But, all three men were aware of the rising tension.

“So, George, I’m pretty sure you aren’t just paying us a social call on New Year’s Day,” John finally said.

“Unfortunately, I’m not,” Hammond sighed. He was uncomfortable and tired of bringing bad news.

“I’m sure you’ve been keeping up with the news,” he remarked dryly, referring to the recent arrests that had stemmed from the financial improprieties of the men involved with Kinsey, Simmons, and Stephens.

“We may have read an article or two,” Rodney stated smugly.

“As you can imagine, the men involved are scrambling to cut deals. Most of them have no real information to trade, and none of them know about the Program of course, but one of the men had some information that pertained to you, Doctor Sheppard. This was verified by records found on Kinsey’s computer, but General Vidrine has spent the last two weeks checking out the veracity of the information,” Hammond said carefully.

“We’re not going to like this, are we?” John interrupted.

“No, you’re not,” he bluntly stated. “You weren’t told anything until we confirmed the information. James called me at 3 A. M. to let me know.”

“Well, spit it out,” Rodney demanded.

“You know Carson has been working on a gene therapy?” Hammond confirmed, knowing from Hank that Stephens had disclosed that information. The man had had a problem with the concept of classified. Had he not been killed, George thought it likely Kinsey would have taken care of that sooner or later.

When the two men nodded, he continued. “What you may not know is that he was hired because we didn’t know what we’d find through the Stargate and it was thought that a geneticist on the payroll might be useful.

“Then, of course, he found the gene that allowed the technology to work. He started working on a way to duplicate the gene and enhance it, but he refused to give a timetable. Kinsey wanted to hedge his bets and he started a search for women with the gene. He found a dozen strong gene carriers, and one of the strongest was a brilliant chemist attending MIT on scholarships,” George explained. He paused for a moment to sip at his Scotch.

“Her scholarships were mysteriously withdrawn and when Stephens offered her $50,000 and a guarantee that she would get a free ride at MIT through graduate school, she was more than happy to donate her eggs,” Hammond shifted uncomfortably. James had warned him that John was likely to react very badly.

“To what end?” Rodney asked quietly. John was getting tenser by the second and he knew his usual brusque manner wouldn’t help relax him.

“It was felt that the gene therapy might never be successful and the only way to ensure gene carriers was to produce them in a new generation,” Hammond said.

“But you’d need two carriers to up your chances of success, right? Two strong gene carriers. Which means me or Jack,” John guessed.

George didn’t acknowledge the obvious. “Carson refused to get the - - ah - - the genetic material needed from either you or Jack under the guise of a routine exam. So a doctor was put in place at Southold Hospital. Doctor Thomas Nevins,” he recounted, waiting for John to recognize the name.

John’s face furrowed in thought and then he paled. “Did they arrange the fucking accident too?” he bit out. It was a valid question.

“Not that the informant is aware of. As far as he knows, a discussion about how to land you or Jack in the hospital had been started, but nothing had been decided on when you had your accident. He didn’t know your names, but based on the information he had, you and Jack were the only people this could have pertained to,” George disclosed.

Rodney turned to Hammond. “Did they get any of John’s genetic material?” he demanded.

George hung his head briefly before looking up to meet John’s eyes. “Yes.”

John stood and began angrily pacing the room. He stopped and looked at George. “Are you telling me my fucking doctor sexually assaulted me?” he snarled.

“I’m sorry, John,” he said softly, confirming the assault.

Rodney needed to know. “What did they do with it?”

“Nothing at first. The samples were frozen along with the eggs. Kinsey was still hoping Beckett would have a breakthrough. And then the ship was found,” he confided.

“What are you saying?” Rodney barked.

Deciding to just get it over with, Hammond confessed the rest. “They used in vitro and implanted the embryos in six surrogates. It was unsuccessful in four of the surrogates.”

“And the other two?” John whispered.

“The other two surrogates both conceived and are expected to give birth at about the same time.”

John’s gorge rose in his throat and he struggled briefly before his stomach settled. “What was the plan if those three fuckers weren’t dead,” he croaked.

“The infants were due to be adopted by Simmons and Stephens,” he stated.

John ran for the bathroom, only just making it time. He vomited, dashing the tears from his eyes. Rodney had followed him and was rubbing his back, his mouth turned down in shock and unhappiness.

John rinsed his mouth, thinking his father would be upset at the waste of the Talisker 25 until he thought of innocent babies in the hands of those monsters. _His babies._ And he nearly vomited again.

George was waiting patiently in the living room. He helped himself to more of the Talisker, topping off John and Rodney’s glass while he was at it. He slowly sipped at the excellent Scotch, waiting for the two men to return.

Rodney appeared first. Noticing his refilled glass, he murmured a thank you, taking a healthy swig. “John will be back in a minute.”

“I can only imagine how upset he is,” George acknowledged.

John returned in time to hear the last comment. “When are they due?”

“The first week of February,” he informed them. “We still need to run DNA tests, but we wanted you to have as much time as possible to decide what you want to do.”

“Do?” John asked in confusion.

“They are your children, John,” Hammond said gently.

“What about Nevins?” Rodney asked.

“Once the DNA is confirmed to be John’s, his medical license will be pulled. It’s up to you if you want to pursue a criminal case against him. James felt that given the - - nature of the charges, and the publicity, you may choose to decline pressing charges,” he detailed.

John couldn’t think that far ahead. “I’ll let you know.”

Taking this as his cue to leave, George stood. “If there’s anything I can do, please let me know.”

Rodney saw him out and returned to his husband. John was sitting on the couch, staring into space. “John,” he started.

“Not now, Rodney. I - - I need some time,” he growled, stomping to the front closet. He put on his jacket, pocketed his keys and wallet and slammed the door behind him.

Rodney gathered the dirty glasses from the living room. Knowing it was useless to follow his husband, he decided to go to the winery. He left food and water for Bella and closed the door on the empty house.

~0~

John went to Kenny’s Beach to stare at the water, trying to empty his mind of Hammond’s revelations, but it proved impossible. For the first time, he understood Rodney’s impulse to run to Jeannie after their first kiss.

Right now, John wanted his mother.

Unknowingly echoing his husband’s behavior, John decided on the spot to go visit Kathleen. His father had left a few days after Christmas for London. Kathleen didn’t mind being alone for New Year’s. It had never been a holiday she enjoyed, claiming it made her think of things she had yet to accomplish.

David had confided that during John’s estrangement from the family, Kathleen had spent the time from Thanksgiving to New Year’s in a state of depression. She enjoyed the holiday season now, but she still preferred to pretend the New Year was just another day.

On the way to MacArthur, John arranged to have a rental car waiting for him. He considered taking the Cessna, but quickly decided it would be easier to fly. Not to mention safer; he’d been drinking the night before and was in a highly emotional state.

His mind was in turmoil during the flight and the drive to the estate. He could barely think around his anger and fear. It was dusk by the time he pulled up in front of his parent’s house.

He was let in and directed to his mother’s office where she liked to read. The French doors let the light in during the day and she had access to the garden. The room was comfortable, if a bit frilly for John’s taste, but it suited his mother perfectly.

Kathleen had been at her desk, writing letters to some far-flung friends. She had spent the morning with a novel and checking her schedule to see when she could squeeze a trip in to Long Island to visit Sabrina. Although it had been less than a week since they’d left her at John’s house, Kathleen already missed her.

She was glad the day was nearly over, and was contemplating an early dinner when her son entered the room. She paled, fear flooding her body. “John! Is Rodney okay?”

“He’s fine, Mom,” he quickly replied. He’d never thought to call and he mentally kicked himself when he saw how frightened Kathleen had become.

“Thank goodness. Well, this is a surprise,” she said, rising to sit on the settee. “Come, sit down and tell me why you’re here,” she ordered, patting the space next to her.

Kathleen knew her son very well and knew something had precipitated this visit. She would never admit it to anyone, but John was her favorite. She loved David, but had a bond with John that went beyond that of mother and son.

The years he had been estranged from the family had been difficult for her. It was the closest she’d ever come to leaving Patrick. She had insisted he make overtures to get John back into the family fold. As stubborn as he was, he had done just that. He tried year after year, at first for her sake, and later for his own. Neither one of them had been all that surprised when John refused the overtures. He was just as stubborn as Patrick.

John sat obediently, taking his mother’s hand. He haltingly told her the whole story, starting with the discovery of the Stargate in 1928. He didn’t particularly care that he was violating the non-disclosure agreements he had signed. He trusted Kathleen.

He never would have shared this with his father or his brother. But, his mother was an extremely intelligent woman, with a highly flexible mind. It was due to Kathleen’s advice to Leah that Sabrina was now living with John and Rodney.

When John had been imprisoned on Arcea, he has sussed out that he’d inherited the gene from his mother. He explained that the gene allowed them to make alien technology work, and she never blinked or interrupted. She nodded her head, and only showed emotion when John revealed the threat that had been made against the children.

She accepted John’s role in the ultimate fate of the three dead men, fiercely glad they were dead. And her heart broke when he told her how his doctor had abused his position. Upon hearing about John’s unborn children, she felt a longing for them that was soul deep.

She could hear the anger and fear in John’s voice, and it was tempting to take her son in her arms and pretend, for just a moment, that everything would be fine. It had worked when John was a child, but he was a grown man and she could no longer tell him how to solve his problems.

She rose to pour herself a small sherry and a brandy for John. “What does Rodney have to say about the children?”

John accepted his brandy. “We haven’t discussed it yet. But Rodney has always said he doesn’t want children,” John said miserably.

Kathleen’s light, tinkling laugh filled the room. “Yes, I could tell. I suppose that’s the reason Sabrina isn’t living with you,” she remarked gently.

“That’s different. Rodney doesn’t even like children. Sabrina is my responsibility, not his,” John contested.

“Are you sure Rodney sees it that way? And for a man that claims to dislike children, he certainly seems to have a good relationship with Madison, Zakia, Autumn, and Wynter, as well as Andrew, Sabrina, and that Luke boy,” she argued. ‘What’s really going on here, John? What are you afraid of?”

He hesitated a moment before answering. “That I’ll - - I’ll be like dad and won’t… Won’t love them,” he whispered.

Kathleen’s hazel eyes, so like John’s, widened in shock. “Is that what you think?” she cried. She took John in her arms, stroking his head. “My poor, foolish son. Lack of love was never your father’s problem. If anything, it was just the opposite. Patrick loved you too much, and wanted to make your life perfect.”

John broke free of his mother’s embrace. He stared at the slender, elegant woman, dressed in a soft, silky black outfit, her hair held back by a headband, his face a mask of confusion. “Then why…?”

“Why what? Why did the two of you butt heads so often? Why didn’t you speak for years?” she asked rhetorically.

John just nodded.

“Because, you are both infuriating, stubborn men. When they put you in your father’s arms after you were born, he cried. The nurse had to pry you out of his arms and Patrick threatened to have her fired. He’s been holding on too tightly ever since,” she laughed in reminiscence. “Now tell me what else sent you running away from your husband.”

That was the problem with running to a person who knew him so well. John _was_ afraid of having the same sort of relationship with his children that he’d had with his father, but that wasn’t what had sent him running. “I’m afraid Rodney will leave me,” he admitted.

Kathleen’s laughter again filled the room. “This is the same Rodney that looks at you like you’re the only glass of water in a desert?”

“He doesn’t…” John started.

“It’s okay, dear, you look at him the same way. It’s embarrassing at times to be honest with you, but we all understand,” she confided, patting his hand. “Do you want the children?”

“Not if it means losing Rodney,” he replied immediately.

“Which doesn’t exactly answer the question. Would you leave him if the situation was reversed?”

“Of course not,” he answered truthfully.

“I think you’ll find Rodney feels the same way,” Kathleen remarked. “Come, the cook made a pot of chicken soup and noodles. We’ll talk over dinner.”

John followed his mother into the kitchen where she liked to eat when Patrick was travelling for business. She filled two bowls with the soup and brought them to the table. John poured his mother’s lemon water for the both of them and sliced the loaf of French bread warming on the stove next to the simmering pot of soup.

They began eating, the warm, rich broth surrounding chicken, noodles, and vegetables. “If you don’t want the children I’m sure Leah and David will take them. Or your father and I will,” she blurted out. She’d known John was gay since he was a teenager and had resigned herself to the fact that the chances of his having children were nonexistent. But the thought of his children being given over to strangers was unacceptable.

John shot her a disbelieving look, and remarked dryly, “I can’t see dad taking on babies at this stage of his life, can you?”

“Granted, there would have to be some - - adjustment, but we’re not about to allow your children to be raised by strangers,” she argued.

Running a hand through his unruly hair, John looked despairingly at his mother. “I’m gonna have to talk to Rodney.”

“Yes, dear, you are,” Kathleen said smiling. “I’ll clean up here. Why don’t you go up to your room and get a good nights sleep. We’ll talk again in the morning.”

Despite the early hour, John was exhausted. He and Rodney had returned in the wee hours of the morning after Jack and Daniel’s party and had only caught six hours of sleep. And the emotional ups and downs of the long day were being felt. He kissed his mother, wrapping her in a full body hug, and whispered a heartfelt thank you in her ear.

~0~

John burrowed deeper into his pillow, trying to get closer to the heat along one side of his body, draping a leg over Rodney.

That couldn’t be right, John thought sluggishly. He was in Virginia, sleeping in his old room. He’d left his husband at the farm.

Opening his eyes in confusion, he saw Rodney grinning. “Surprise.”

Voice husky with sleep, he said, “Rodney, what are you doing here?”

“Where else would I be?” he groused.

“How’d you know I was here?” John asked.

“Kathleen called me after she sent you to bed and I took a Redeye,” Rodney explained.

“Why? I was gonna come home today.”

“Look, don’t be mad at your mother, but she told me what you two discussed. I can’t believe that you were worried I might leave if you decided to take the kids. I - - I didn’t want you to worry about it for a minute longer than you needed to,” Rodney informed his husband, hand running smoothly up and down John’s arm.

John drew Rodney to him, loving the solid bulk of his husband’s body, loving the way Rodney grounded him. Not just sometimes, but every time they touched, John felt this. “Rodney, you always said you didn’t want children.”

Rodney snaked his arms around John, clinging tightly to him. “It’s not something I would have gone looking for, John. That doesn’t mean that I don’t want to help raise your children.”

“It would mean more than that, Rodney. You’ll be their parent as much as I will,” John pointed out.

“You’d trust me to do that?” he asked in an unusually quiet voice.

“We’re married, Rodney. I won’t be able to do it alone, I don’t _want_ to do it alone. If you don’t want to be their father along with me, I’m not sure I’d take them,” John confessed, admitting to his husband what he would’ve been ashamed to admit to anyone else.

There was no time to really think this through. The thought of his children out there, without his involvement, was deeply disturbing. He felt their tug even after so short a time. As angry as he’d been and still was about how they were conceived, he couldn’t find it in himself to take that anger out on innocents. They’d had as little say as him. No matter how the children had come into being, John found he wanted them.

But doing it without Rodney wasn’t an option.

“That’s what I’d want, John - - to be their father, but you made such a point of letting me know that I wouldn’t have to do anything for Sabrina if she came to live with us, I wasn’t sure you trusted me,” he complained.

John heard the hurt in his husband’s voice. “No, Rodney, it wasn’t like that at all! I just didn’t want you to think you were obligated to help me with Sabrina.”

Rodney jerked himself out of John’s arms, angry. “And it never occurred to you that helping you take care of her isn’t a fucking obligation? I happen to love her!” he shouted. “What if Jeannie and Kaleb decided to stay in Toronto and we had Madison? You wouldn’t have contributed to her care?”

Understanding how badly he fucked up, John answered. “I know you love Sabrina, just like you know I love Madison. I was trying to make things easy for you.” John heard his last remark and laughed bitterly. “I guess I’m more like my father that I thought.”

“I like your dad, John, but you’re nothing like him. And what does your father have to do with any of this?” Rodney questioned.

John reached out for Rodney’s hand. “My mother told me that the reason he tried to control my life was that he wanted to make life perfect for me. I - - I guess I wanted the same thing for you.”

“Well, stop. I have no complaints about our life. And just so you know, Sabrina and I spend a lot of time together. I’m teaching her how to play chess,” Rodney disclosed proudly. He grinned when he saw the surprise on John’s face.

“I didn’t know.”

“Know what? That I love Sabrina? That I spend time with her? That I love all the kids in our life? And, by the way, how could you not know?” Rodney quickly fired off questions.

Deciding to ignore the questions he knew were rhetorical, he replied, “That you were teaching her chess. Is she any good?”

“Of course she’s good. I can’t imagine why David and Leah didn’t make sure she could play. The girl is brilliant after all,” he criticized.

“I think they were concentrating on horseback riding and dancing lessons,” John snorted.

“Like she’s going to need those! She’s leaning towards quantum chemistry,” he pronounced.

“Well, she does live at a horse farm, so the riding lessons will come in handy,” John teased.

Huffing, Rodney exploded. “And what if she falls off a damn horse and hits her head?” His eyes suddenly widened as he leapt from the bed. “We’ve got to start childproofing! Do you have any idea how dangerous the average home is to young children?” he yelled.

Laughing, John got out of bed and grabbed his husband, kissing him quiet. “I think we have time to eat breakfast first.”

“Easy for you to say. You don’t have a head full of worst case scenarios,” he grumbled.

“Let’s go put mom out of her suspense,” John reined in Rodney, beginning to dress.

~0~

John and Rodney arrived home and immediately retired to their room. A phone call to Hammond had given them some information they hadn’t thought to ask about after the initial shock of his disclosure. Each surrogate was carrying one child; a boy and a girl.

They needed to discuss how much of the truth they were going to tell the family and their community. It was decided that the people who knew about the gene would be told the truth and everyone else would be told this was planned, but kept quiet until now for personal reasons. It wasn’t a perfect explanation, and neither one of them was happy about having to lie, but it was necessary.

The children with the gene hadn’t been told. It was hard enough to cope with being so smart; none of them needed the burden of knowing about a gene that further separated them from others. The children would be told that that John and Rodney had been planning this for some time.

They also decided they would say that the children were twins. They called Hammond again, letting him know what they had decided, asking that the birth certificates reflect the same birth date for each child, in case they were born a day or two apart. They’d get back to him on the names. They both figured the government owed them and should acquiesce to whatever small demands they had.

Still being secretive, they snuck out of the house and headed for The Book Nook to purchase a baby name book. They knew that the owner, Oscar, a tall, laconic man in his sixties, believed book purchases should be as confidential as a visit to a doctor and wouldn’t be spreading gossip.

John drove the truck to Kenny’s Beach, determined they would have two baby names before they went home to give Jeannie and Kaleb the news. They walked the beach for an hour, taking turns picking out names, and getting nowhere.

They drove to get coffee for Rodney and hot chocolate for John before returning to the deserted parking lot. John finally decided Rodney would pick out their son’s name and he would pick out their daughter’s name.

They whittled their lists down to five names each and then switched. They argued some more, good naturedly insulting the other’s choices, and then finally agreed. They had made their first parental decision. Their son would be called Conner McKay-Sheppard and their daughter, Cassidy McKay-Sheppard.

Driving home, they were elated, and nervous, and scared. They sent Madison and Sabrina out to the stables with apples and carrots so they could feed the horses, and a can of tuna for Rose and her half-grown kittens.

They sat Jeannie and Kaleb down in the kitchen and set up a conference call with David and Leah. When they knew everyone’s attention was focused on them, they gave them the good news.

There was utter silence for twenty seconds, before the room exploded in whoops and whistles. David and Leah were screaming questions and congratulations and Jeannie and Kaleb were hugging the two men, pounding their backs.

Jeannie told Leah she’d call her after she had a glass of the champagne her husband was busy pouring. They had lots of things to discuss and she wanted her input on baby furniture, room design and a whole host of other issues. She was in shock that they only had a month to prepare for two infants.

John and Rodney couldn’t have been happier that their family was accepting and happy for them. Not surprisingly, they got the same reaction when they made the announcement at the Monday night dinner that evening. They waited till after dinner when all the children had retreated to the playroom upstairs.

Winsome, throwing the men a sour look, got up and rummaging through a drawer, retrieved paper and a pen. Jeannie got her to-do lists out of her bag and sat with Winsome and Nicola as they neatly organized John and Rodney’s life.

~0~

The first thing that needed to be done was preparing the nursery. It was while deciding on which room would be best that they ran into a small dilemma. With Sabrina living with them, and the two children soon arriving, the house seemed suddenly small. As there was now a room exclusively Sabrina’s and one room that needed to be set aside as a nursery, they would have to think about adding on to the house or building a guesthouse. There was the added knowledge that the children would each need a room for themselves when they were older.

John and Rodney took a good look at their home as they debated whether to add on to the house, or build a separate guesthouse. John was all for the guesthouse and Rodney thought a small addition would work out better. Jeannie and her family would be living nearby and for the few weeks John’s family visited, they’d be able to make do.

They started in the backyard where John had had a stonewall built around the entire yard, liking the rustic feel. Along the wall, he’d planted blackberry and blueberry bushes, allowing them to grow wild up the walls.

He’d incorporated a number of apple and peach trees in the backyard, trees that the previous owner had kept out of his much smaller, but neatly manicured yard. This had once been a working farm; the only remnants that remained from the original farm were two-dozen fruit trees. The man John had bought the farm from had also raised horses.

The state of the art stable was what had tipped the scales when he purchased the property. The house had needed some work and John had tackled it methodically, upgrading the exterior, modernizing where he could, but still keeping the feel of a somewhat traditional, but upscale farmhouse with aspirations of being a beach house.

John had played up the beach house aspects where he could, replacing the small windows with larger ones and framing them in white, using gray shingle, and adding French doors, a widow’s walk, and small balconies in the back of the house. The house had undergone a renovation five years before John had purchased it, and a garage with an apartment above it and a breezeway had been added. John had extended the breezeway out to an outdoor kitchen that could easily be shut against inclement weather.

The kitchen wasn’t large, but it made it convenient for lazy summer meals eaten in the backyard, and featured a built in grill, burners, sink, and a small refrigerator. He’d also put in a hot tub and sunken fire pit. He had planned on putting in a lap pool, but after Rodney moved in, it just seemed easier to swim at the college.

The front of the house faced the road, but was set well back from it, making it difficult for passing drivers to see it. A driveway ended at the far side of the house, in front of the double garage. The front of the house sported tall grasses and low bushes, surrounding a gravel pathway, and shielding part of the house, adding to the beach house feeling of the home.

The interior had been upgraded and modernized as well. The house was large, with more rooms than John had needed when he bought the place. The extra rooms had come in handy when the family descended upon them during the holidays.

They brought Brad into the discussion, and he came out to the farm to discuss the drawbacks and benefits of a guesthouse versus an addition. It was his opinion that although a guesthouse would cost more, it would add to the value of the property should they chose to sell in the future.

A guesthouse could also be easily converted to an office, an artist’s studio, a small store, or a home for in-laws or grown children. The major advantage would be in not having to deal with construction inside their residence. It was going to be difficult enough to adjust to the infants without adding the stress of a renovation.

John and Rodney trusted Brad, and listened to his advice. He would start on the project at the beginning of March. The guesthouse would match the style and color of the main house and be situated at the very back left hand corner of the garden.

Brad had a man on the payroll who would be able to rebuild the stonewall to curve around the new structure and the ten feet he needed to extend the yard in order to maintain the same feel of the current space. The new house wouldn’t have a back yard at all, but would be facing the main house, with a path that would lead from one house to the other.

Brad had some landscape designs in mind, but they would have to wait until he was done building. John had left most of the yard fairly bare, and Brad’s fingers itched to show John what could be done. Just recently he had been made an honorary member of the East End Gardening Club, the only man to have that honor bestowed upon him in fifty years.

He was thinking of branching out into landscaping and building small outdoor rooms, folly’s, tree houses, pool houses, teahouses, and other outdoor structures. He was now in the process of wooing two of the more talented ladies from the gardening club to join his staff part time. If he could convince John and Rodney to allow him a freehand, it would be a huge boost to that side of his business.

He was lucky that his two friends were allowing him to do what he liked in regards to the guesthouse. Brad’s talent lie not only in the quality of his work, but also in the reach of his vision. He was able to look at an empty space, or a home and see what it could be. He always made a point of listening to his clients, and then adding his own vision, brought theirs to life.

The three men retreated into the house and the kitchen to seal the deal with a beer. John wrote him a check and Brad teased him and Rodney about the joys of raising children.

~0~

Jeannie and Winsome insisted on taking John and Rodney shopping, both of them convinced that being men, they would never come home with exactly what was needed. The women were there to make sure two cribs were purchased, along with the other furniture needed and the bumpers, sheets, and blankets. They also planned on supervising their registry.

They started at an upscale store that sold both furniture and layettes, in addition to the many other things needed. Rodney and John entered the store agreeing that the crib bumpers would be geometric black and white and that they would stay away from the grandmotherly woman who ran every counter where layettes were sold. At least that’s what David had warned them about.

Buying the crib and other furniture was easy. The men strutted after taking a mere fifteen minutes to make their decision. They chose a dark wood that was simple in design and the cribs converted to toddler beds. The trouble started when it came time to pick the bumpers. Jeannie was gearing herself up for a rant, while Winsome snorted.

They were led away from the black and white bumpers and shown to the ones that Jeannie and Winsome considered more appropriate. John saw Rodney’s face soften at the classic Pooh bumpers. “Rodney?” he called softly.

Rodney looked at his husband with guilty eyes. “I always had a thing about Piglet.”

John covered Rodney’s hand. “I always liked Eeyore myself.”

They had a short discussion and while they were both classic Pooh fans, they didn’t want to buy into the cradle to grave consumerism that was so prevalent in modern culture. They settled on a lavender bumper set for Cassidy and a pale green set for Conner. They would both match well with the creamy white they had chosen for the walls of the nursery.

The woman at the layette counter, Mrs. Carmichael, was just as David had warned them. She was grandmotherly, sweet, and she knew best. She whipped out a list of must needed items and proceeded to lay out examples of each so John and Rodney could pretend to choose. Beside the half-dozen outfits with matching blankets, there were stacks of tiny undershirts, onsies, and pajamas.

When they had what she considered a sufficient layette, she then started on the take home outfits, with Winsome and Jeannie cooing delightedly over the well-made clothing. When the women finally decided, the take home outfits were put aside, and the men were escorted to see the outerwear and other clothing.

Mrs. Carmichael wrote down every item that Jeannie and Winsome picked out as John and Rodney looked on in horror. “Jeannie, they can’t possible need all this stuff, and how do you know you’re getting the right sizes?”

“Don’t be an idiot, Meredith. This is for the registry. People have to have some idea what you want,” she answered.

Mrs. Carmichael chimed in. “Don’t wash these items or cut the tags. If, when the time comes, the sizes are wrong, just return them, dear.”

Winsome took pity on her two friends. “You’re not going to get everything. You’ll come back and decide what you still want. And we still need to get highchairs, bassinets, car seats, play mats, maybe a swing, bouncy seats, bottles, nipples, a sterilizer, a …”

Rodney interrupted her. “Please tell me you’re kidding.”

“No, Meredith, she’s not. What’d you think, you were gonna bring two infants home and stick them in a drawer?” Jeannie asked sarcastically.

That shut Rodney up. John had been too overwhelmed to protest the buying binge. They both independently decided to follow the women and agree to whatever they insisted upon, at least in front of the frighteningly efficient Mrs. Carmichael.

Mrs. Carmichael was well pleased by their registry choices, as well as the take home outfits and snowsuits they’d be walking out with. Savvy shoppers both, Jeannie and Winsome had picked another half-dozen outfits for each baby, as well as a number of jackets and coats. Delivery for the cribs, dressers, armoire, bassinets, and highchairs was promised for next week as John handed over his credit card.

They hit The Gap next and when it was John’s turn to complain, Jeannie sweetly explained that the clothing chosen at the first store was not everyday clothing. Another dozen outfits for each baby were put onto a new registry list.

Their last stop was at Target where six outfits for each baby, as well as pajamas, and a carton of diapers were put into their cart. The registry here included a baby bath, diapers, pacifiers, baby wash, shampoo, diaper cream, baby lotion, mobiles, books, and a number of toys. Rodney kept muttering darkly and John’s eyes had glazed over some time ago.

Winsome and Jeannie were busy reminiscing about when Zakia and Madison were infants, laughing over the stuff that no one had bothered to tell them and the mistakes they had made. It was obvious they still had a lot of energy and by the time they made it back to the farm to decide how the furniture should be placed, John and Rodney were exhausted.

They ran to their bedroom and rudely slammed the door. The smooth curves of the dark maple wood sleigh bed beckoned to them. Rodney had loved this room from the moment he saw it. The simple lines of the solid wood furniture, and the deep, rich sable of the bedding, the intricate pattern of the hardwood floors, all spoke to him; of comfort and home and love. The two men climbed into bed and clung to each other as they fell into a deep and dreamless sleep.

~0~

Toward the end of January, Jeannie, Winsome, and Nicola threw John and Rodney a baby shower. John’s parent’s and brother’s family had spent the previous two weeks buying gifts and planning jokes.

Patrick had been walking around puffed up at the thought of two more grandchildren and David had written fifty pages of his own parental mishaps, advice, and experience, and then had the pages bound. He put the book in a fancy gift box and added a dozen clothespins to be used when changing diapers, and two-dozen extra big burp clothes. Leah and Kathleen didn’t think it was funny, but it got the thumbs up from Patrick.

Using one of the rooms at The Pavilion, guests from all over descended on the winery to help John and Rodney celebrate the upcoming birth of their children.

They left the party with dozens of gifts, some of which they couldn’t fathom the use of. This disturbed Rodney, because he felt as the foremost astrophysicist in the world, he should be able to figure out stuff meant for infants. They received nearly everything on their registry. Many other people gave them gift cards to baby stores, some of which they had never heard of. Both were touched at the generosity of family, friends, and neighbors.

They dutifully distributed the gifts throughout the nursery; tiny baby clothes found their way into drawers, along with socks, booties, and bibs after it all had been washed. Jackets and shoes in a variety of sizes were hung on small hangers or lined up on the bottom of the closet. Hats were hung on the hat rack and bonnets folded and put away. Diapers, wipes, and cream were placed in reach of the changing tables, and books and other necessities were placed on shelves.

They stacked the gift cards for easy access, and went back to their daily grind. John got his department in order for his paternity leave. Rodney would be splitting his eight weeks up in two-week chunks. He had originally planned on spending the first four weeks with John, and then the second part of the paternity leave on his own after John went back to work.

A situation at work had altered those plans. He had received an unusual artifact from the SGC, and a warning from Sam. The artifact had scared her and she wanted him to approach it as cautiously as possible, and preferably not at all.

Rodney wasn’t one to heed intuition; he liked facts, not amorphous feelings that usually amounted to nothing. But, even he had to admit the hulking mirror now locked in a secure lab creeped him out. He hadn’t been able to figure out the mirror’s purpose and he was considering assigning it to Zelenka. Maybe. Right now, he was thinking of just letting the mirror sit while he thought of a logical reason to convince General Vidrine to have it destroyed.

And everyday brought them closer to Conner and Cassidy’s birth. They prepared go bags, and their new custom made diaper bags, both filled with filled with baby formula, bottles, clothing, diapers, and the many other items that would be needed for the newborns. They planned on bringing portable car seats with them. John took a look at the ever-growing baggage, and laughingly proclaimed, “This is what’s known in the military as loaded for bear.”

Two days after the shower, Jeannie, Kaleb, and Madison with the help of the family, moved into the large ranch a mile from the farm. The house in Toronto hadn’t sold yet, but they were able to get a bridge loan very quickly.

When they were gone, the house felt achingly empty. Rodney missed his sister and niece. He took a great deal of comfort in knowing that they were so close.

### February

The call came at 4:00 in the morning. Conner’s surrogate mother had gone into labor. John and Rodney grabbed the bags they’d prepared and headed for MacArthur. Sabrina was dropped off at Jeannie’s house who greeted them in her robe and sent them off with swift, fierce hugs. They were able to get a flight out to D.C. with only a short wait.

They were planning on waiting at the Sheppard estate for Cassidy’s surrogate mother to go into labor, as well as for the results of the DNA tests. John and Rodney had insisted that a rapid twenty-four hour test be used. Kinsey had wanted the surrogate’s be close to Washington, and both of them hailed from Maryland and were giving birth in the same hospital.

General Vidrine was in Maryland to oversee the births of John’s children and to make sure there were no fuckups. The clinic where the women had been impregnated was now under government control and the children had been due to be turned over to representatives of the clinic for a private adoption. General Vidrine was now that representative.

James had brought Majors Carter and Lorne with him to stand as an unobtrusive guard over the newborns. He didn’t think the children were in any danger, but he wasn’t going to take any chances either. The four men from Long island had suffered more than enough due to the interference of Kinsey, Simmons, and Stephens. James had no intention of letting anything go wrong.

He called them twice before Conner’s birth to give them an update on the labor, which was progressing well. The last call came in at 2:08 PM to let them know that a healthy baby boy had been born four minutes ago. He weighed in at 8 pounds 3 ounces and he was twenty-two inches long.

Before they’d had a chance to catch their breath, the phone rang again letting them know that Cassidy’s mother had just shown up in hard labor. He quickly hung up, promising to call back the second he had any information.

It was 30 minutes before the general called. Cassidy would be arriving within the next few hours. Mother and child were both doing fine.

Cassidy was born at 5:13 PM, weighing in at a petite 5 pounds, 10 ounces. She was nineteen inches long, and like her brother, she was born with a shock of dark hair and distinctive pointed ears. James assured John and Rodney she was about the prettiest baby he’d ever seen.

Kathleen broke out a bottle of Cristal to toast the two new fathers. Patrick walked in just after the champagne had been poured. “So, where’s mine?” he boomed, sweeping up Kathleen in a hug, and then his son and son-in-law after he’d been given the news.

David and Leah were called and they came over with Andrew. Leah helped John and Rodney notify the rest of their family. The news was met with shouts, tears, and a great deal of joy.

Patrick was all for driving to the hospital immediately. He wanted to see his grandchildren, but John talked him out of it. He was worried the DNA tests would prove the babies weren’t his. He wasn’t sure he could bear to see them and then not be able to take them home.

The family slept fitfully, tossing and turning as they anxiously awaited the results of the DNA testing. When the phone finally rang at 5 PM, nerves were frayed and tempers short. The news that the children were indeed John’s was met with relief by John and Rodney, tears from Kathleen, and a self-satisfied smirk from Patrick.

The children would not be released until tomorrow morning. Patrick had a meeting he couldn’t miss and would have to wait a few days to meet his grandchildren. He was unhappy and made his son and son-in-law promise to take lots of photos.

They slept better that night, but were too excited to sleep for very long. John and Rodney were ready to go pick up their son and daughter before the sun rose. Kathleen soon joined them, insisting they have breakfast and wait so she could say goodbye to her husband.

General Vidrine met them at the hospital, Sam Carter at his side. She was grinning widely as she stepped forward to hug John and Rodney. “Congratulations, you two. Both the babies are just gorgeous. They both look a lot like you, John.”

“Back off, Blondie, he’s married,” Rodney joked, sweeping her into another hug.

“Major, if you’re done harassing the good, doctor and his husband, maybe you can take them to check out their children. I’ll just catch up with Kathleen,” General Vidrine suggested.

“Yes, sir,” she replied smartly, watching the General and Mrs. Sheppard walk off toward the cafeteria.

Sam took the two men up to maternity, letting them know that the surrogate mothers had been released, and the children were being bathed and fed. The nurses were asking about their take home outfits so they could dress them.

Major Lorne met them at the nurse’s station. He stood, saluting John. “Colonel, Doctor, it’s good to see you.”

John chuckled. “It’s good to see you too Evan. But it’s not really necessary to salute me.”

“Old habits, sir. The nurse was asking about clothes,” he informed them.

John had put the take home outfits at the top of one of the diaper bags and he had brought them into the hospital in a small shopping bag. He handed the bag to Lorne who went to the nursery entrance to hand it over.

John and Rodney’s eyes were glued to the entrance door, and finally two nurses appeared, each of them carrying a swaddled infant. John stumbled forward, his arms outstretched and the nurse gave him their daughter. Rodney was handed their son, his face stunned.

They were shown to a room so they could take a few minutes to meet their children. Since they were so heavily swaddled, they were easy to hold. Their faces were nearly identical, and Sam had been right, they both looked very much like John.

Both John and Rodney stared in amazement at Conner and Cassidy, talking softly, and touching gently. The babies seemed like a very personal miracle. The two men sat in an empty room, smiling goofily, as they fell in love with their son and daughter.

The nurse came back in after thirty minutes to shoo them out and home.

~0~

Kathleen went home with John, Rodney, and the two babies. Patrick would be joining her in a few days and Leah would be coming out a few days before Patrick and Kathleen were due to go home. She’d be staying for two weeks in order to help out and spend some time with Sabrina.

Kathleen put the babies into their bassinets that had been waiting in the nursery, and looked critically at the room. Smiling her approval, she turned to look at her son and his husband. “Okay, boys. Time to get them out of their take home outfits, get them washed, fed, and down for a nap. I’m sure half the town will be here soon enough.”

John had served under commanders who scared him less than his mother did at the moment. “Um, maybe you should show us?”

“I don’t think so. Consider me your supervisor. John, you do Conner. Rodney, you’ll take care of Cassidy. And you’ll switch babies the next time so you get used to handling both of them,” she ordered.

Both men bent to their task, being absurdly cautious, while Kathleen snorted her amusement and made note of the things they were forgetting to do. She believed in allowing people to learn from their mistakes.

Getting the babies undressed was easy enough, except when Cassidy peed down Rodney’s chest as he held her close to bring her to the bathroom. When Rodney wanted to put her down to change his clothes, Kathleen commented dryly, “It’s only a little pee. You’ll probably end up soaked from her bath, so it’s best to wait.”

John tried not to laugh too hard as he juggled his own armful. His mother lifted an eyebrow his way. “Don’t be too quick to laugh, son. The day will come when you just won’t be fast enough with Conner’s diaper,” she said sweetly.

Rodney chuckled. “How many times did John get you?”

“More times than I care to think about. He was pretty fast on the trigger, back then,” she murmured slyly.

“Mom!”

“Not when I’m holding the baby, Kathleen. And, John, relax, you’ve gotten over that particular problem,” Rodney remarked, choking back laughter and laying a small towel onto the bright blue baby tub and putting Cassidy gently inside it before running the water. When the water was at the right temperature, he wet a soft washcloth. He carefully washed her face and passed the washcloth over her silken hair. Squeezing some baby wash on to the cloth he gently washed Cassidy’s squirming body, smiling at how she seemed to enjoy the attention.

“That’s good, Rodney,” Kathleen said approvingly. “Now just rinse her off with the cloth and be careful around her umbilical cord. When it falls off, you can put her in the water.”

Rodney did so, and then remembering to put the hooded towel against him, he picked his daughter up, wrapping her in the towel. “Piece of cake,” he bragged. “I’m going to get her dressed.”

“Don’t forget to use the diaper cream,” Kathleen ordered.

“Yes, Ma’am!”

Kathleen removed the towel from the baby tub, replacing it with a dry one. “Your turn, John. As soon as you get a little more confidence, you’ll be able to wash them in the kitchen sink. And when they’re sitting up on their own, you can wash them together in the tub,” she explained to her son.

John had been watching Rodney carefully and he imitated and repeated his actions with Conner. He soon had a sweet smelling, clean baby in his arms. He laid the baby in the middle of the bed and reached for the pile of diapers. Holding one over the baby’s penis, he finished drying Conner and applied a generous amount of cream before diapering him.

He hadn’t laid clothes out before the baths and he made a mental note to get everything ready the next time. He rummaged around in the unpacked diaper bag and got a warm footed romper patterned with baseballs.

“Careful with the snaps,” Kathleen reminded him.

Cassidy had been put into her bassinet, also dressed in a footed romper; hers patterned in pastel teddy bears. Kathleen showed them how to bunt the babies and soon both babies were tightly wrapped with butter soft blankets that matched their rompers.

Rodney emerged from the bathroom wearing clean clothes. “I didn’t know if we should wash their take home outfits.”

Kathleen took them from him. “I’ll hand wash them and then put them in gallon Ziplocs.”

“Why are you putting their clothes in plastic bags?” Rodney asked puzzled.

Obviously struggling for patience, Kathleen answered. “So you can save them.”

Rodney shared a confused look with John. They hadn’t understood when Jeannie and Winsome took them shopping, why these two outfits had cost so much money. Cassidy’s outfit was a pale cream, and had embroidery around the bell sleeves and the bottom cuffs. The lacy collar had tiny pink flowers and seed pearls, as did the blanket, booties, socks, hat, and sweater.

Conner’s outfit was a darker cream, edged in brown satin with an airplane stitched onto the front of the romper, its wings in brown satin. The sweater, the hat, and socks also had a plane on them and more planes edged the entire blanket. The two outfits had cost them a total of five hundred bucks.

“You mean they’re not going to wear these clothes again?” John asked in disbelief.

“Of course not, dear,” his mother said sweetly.

“Why did we spend so much on them then?” John blurted out.

“Well, it’s customary to bring newborns home in something special,” came the exasperated explanation.

“O-kaaay,” he snorted, refusing to look at his husband. He didn’t want to piss off his mother by laughing hysterically. It seemed stupid to buy clothes that would be worn for a few hours and then shoved into a plastic bag. He figured it had to be a female thing. There was no way men would start such a dumb tradition.

They each carried a baby downstairs and put them in the bassinet’s that had been loaned to them. They had gratefully accepted the loaners as it would be tiresome to drag the new basinets up and down the stairs. They prepared the baby’s bottles, draped burp clothes over themselves, put bibs on the babies and started feeding them.

They were just finishing up when the doorbell rang and Jeannie, Kaleb, Madison, and Sabrina came bearing food. Jeannie cooed over the babies for a while and then hugged John and Rodney, clinging tightly. Madison and Sabrina were promised they could hold the babies when they awoke.

Sabrina was as glad to see her grandmother as Kathleen was glad to see her. She spent time with her and Madison, promising to take both of them to get their nails done. Sabrina would be staying with the Millers until her mother arrived. John didn’t want to put Jeannie out, but Kathleen and Jeannie felt the two new fathers could use the time to adjust to their new roles.

The rest of the day, as well as the next several days saw visitor after visitor dropping by. They came with casseroles, homemade bread, cookies, chicken, and other dishes, all neatly labeled and ready for freezing or immediate consumption. They all peeked in at the newborns, congratulating John and Rodney, and promising to visit again when the infants had settled in.

The Millers, Winsome, and her family, and Jack, Daniel, and the twins came by daily. They dove right in, helping with Conner and Cassidy or laundry and housework. The visits from their friends and colleagues had tapered off by the time Patrick arrived.

He was anxious to meet his new grandchildren and he spent hours with them, softly singing to them in his pleasant tenor voice. He took dozens and dozens of photos, and helped Kathleen with them during the middle of the night feedings.

The basinets were wheeled into their guest room every night at 10. Kathleen wouldn’t be here long and she insisted on taking over for the nightshift. Leah had arrived and she was sleeping in her daughter’s bed, while Sabrina made due with a blow up mattress. It wouldn’t be for long; as soon as Kathleen and Patrick left, Leah would take over the guest room and the night shift.

If one of the babies didn’t fall asleep after their 2 AM bottles, Patrick would take the baby into the nursery and rock until the infant fell asleep. Generally, John and Rodney slept right through the crying and feeding. Two nights before Patrick and Kathleen were due to leave, Rodney heard a baby fussing in the nursery. John was softly snoring when Rodney left the bed.

He quietly padded toward the nursery, stopping at the partially open door. He was stunned to see Patrick rocking with tears slowly running down his face. He tried to back away, and must have made some small noise. “Rodney. Come in.”

“Are you okay, Patrick?”

“Don’t mind an old man’s tears. When you have a new baby, you’re so busy and tired it’s easy to overlook what a gift they are. That’s the joy of being a grandparent,” he explained, smiling down at Cassidy through his tears. “When John was born, and then David, I was busy building my business. I didn’t get to do this with them.”

“I’ll try and remember that,” Rodney said.

“Kathleen tells me I have you to thank for my new grandchildren,” Patrick spoke quietly.

“That’s not exactly true,” he remarked.

“I think it is. John was never one to settle in one place for any length of time. He was always looking for the next thing. You’ve been good for him, Rodney.”

“You didn’t always think so. I seem to remember you weren’t all that happy when he told you I was moving in,” Rodney reminded him.

Acknowledging that truth, Patrick nodded. “Did you ever wonder why?”

Rodney scrubbed his face. He wasn’t up to intense middle of the night conversations, at least not without coffee. “I assumed it was because of some lingering homophobia. But you seemed okay with it when you came for our party.”

Chuckling softly, Patrick replied, “That’s because Kathleen reminded me what the years without him were like. And I accepted the fact that John is gay a long time ago.”

“So, the question is why. Why were you so upset that I was moving in?”

“I’m pretty sure you won’t remember, but I met you years ago. I was in Arrow Labs for a tour and you were running around calling everybody an idiot. You were very young and about the most arrogant person I’d ever seen,” he disclosed. “I was later told that you were brilliant, but I didn’t think such an arrogant bastard was the person for my son. I was wrong.”

Rodney choked back laughter. “I remember that lab! I was brought in to clean it up. God, you’re right, Patrick, I really was an arrogant asshole. I pretty much still am.”

“Yeah,” Patrick agreed, “but you're John’s arrogant asshole.”

The two men spent the next several hours discussing various jackasses and idiots they both knew as Cassidy slept peacefully in Patrick’s arms.

~0~

Kathleen and Patrick left and Leah stayed. She had her own ideas about childrearing and supervised John and Rodney’s methods, giving them helpful advice and time savers. She didn’t hold with the theory that parents had to find out every little thing for themselves.

She and Sabrina spent two days in the kitchen, making sauce, chicken cutlets, soups, and other food to freeze. They hadn’t put a dent into the food that their friends and neighbors had offered, but as she stocked the extra freezer, she felt better.

Leah trusted John and Rodney to take care of the newborns and Sabrina, but she also knew damn well that her daughter and in-laws would be happy to survive on pizza and cereal if they got involved with something else. She also called Jeannie and Winsome to keep an eye on the food situation once she went back home.

David and Andrew were due over the weekend to meet Conner and Cassidy, and visit with Sabrina. Andrew in particular, was having trouble adjusting to his sister’s absence. David had been making a point of spending a lot of extra time with him. He was enjoying the attention from his father and he had been visiting with his grandparents more frequently. Red had taken him under his wing as well and allowed him to spend hours in the stables.

The weekend went quickly and John and Rodney were suddenly left alone with a nine year old and two infants. And they did what generations of parents before them have done; they faked it.

### March

They soon found their stride. Their days were busy with taking care of two small babies, cooking, cleaning, laundry, doctor visits, shopping, car pools for the children attending school at the college, the horses, making time for their friends, and for each other, and all the other things that went into life.

Conner and Cassidy were put on a schedule that worked for the entire family and they thrived. Sabrina was busy with schoolwork and her friends. She spent time with her uncles and her cousins, slotting into the family seamlessly. Leah visited once a month and was pleased at how Sabrina was blooming.

Brad broke ground on the guesthouse and John and Rodney were happy that they decided to listen to him. The thought of living through a renovation with the babies made them both shudder. Brad was giving them priority and he expected to be finished building within four months. John had taken a look at some of his drawings for the yard and he agreed to turn the whole project over to Brad and his gardening club ladies.

The weather was typical for March; it ranged from winter to spring with some light snow and some intense rainstorms. But for those who lived so close to the land, they felt the subtle warming of the Earth, saw the leaves of the first crocus’ pushing their way out of the ground, and knew their season of rest would soon be over. They all geared up for the coming growing season, and the work that would fill their days.

Rodney had gone back to work for two weeks when Leah was staying with them. He stayed home the first two weeks they had no family in the house to help them out. John had assured him he could handle things at home by himself for the next two weeks. It would be Rodney’s turn soon enough.

John’s first day alone with Conner and Cassidy passed swiftly enough. The seemingly endless chores guaranteed he wasn’t idle, but he had been unprepared for the loneliness that assaulted him. He put the TV on for company, but the inanity of daytime television angered him. He kept the radio tuned to the only country station, even if Johnny Cash was considered too old school to be played very often.

Winsome stopped by after she had dropped off Brad’s lunch and stayed for a cup of coffee. It was cold out and it smelled like snow. They were on track to be hit with a storm at the end of the week, but for now the sun was out. John was gearing himself to get out of the house tomorrow, but couldn’t find the energy to get out today.

Winsome cheered him up, assuring him what he was feeling was perfectly normal and it would make going back to work easier. Her company helped, but it didn’t make him miss Rodney any less.

Conner and Cassidy had been cranky and fussy for most of the day, and when his husband and niece came back home, John was glad for a few minutes to get into a shower. Rodney and Sabrina did a few chores before they took their showers.

John had started dinner an hour before they were due home, putting up a pot of soup Leah had left, and cooking some pasta to add to it. Sabrina tossed a salad to go along with the soup.

Dinner was eaten and the dishes cleaned, and the babies fed, bathed, and readied for bed. Rodney played with his son and daughter and watched John and Sabrina play chess for half an hour before John locked up. Sabrina rose to hug John and Rodney goodnight and then retreated to her bedroom to study and IM her friends.

They carried Conner and Cassidy upstairs and put them down in their bassinets, their son on Rodney’s side of the bed, their daughter on John’s side. They would soon be sleeping and only awoke once a night now. Once the babies were down, John stepped into Rodney’s arms burying his face in his husband’s neck , and breathing in his scent.

“I missed you,” he grumbled.

“I could come home for lunch if you like,” Rodney offered.

“Maybe I’ll bring the babies and come have lunch with you,” John countered. “I was lonely without you,” he admitted.

Rodney held on to John. He had missed John as well, being used to seeing him several times a day. But he also hadn’t forgotten the advice Patrick had given him. He was looking forward to his two weeks alone with the babies, knowing how swiftly the time would pass.

He was glad he’d managed to convince John to enroll the children in the college’s daycare program rather than hire a nanny who would spend her days in the house. He would be able to visit them and he and John could take turns feeding them during the day. He had gotten to know the people working in the daycare, and he felt they were all suitably intimidated by him. He’d be able to drop by and see for himself the care their children were receiving.

“I missed you too, John. Lay down, I’ll give you a massage,” Rodney proposed.

“Yeah?” John questioned.

Getting the sandalwood scented massage oil from the bathroom, Rodney stripped off his sweats and straddled John, drizzling the oil on his back. His large hands kneaded sleek back muscles, loosening them before moving to concentrate on John’s neck where he carried most of his tension. He moved on to his arms and hands.

Rodney thought John had fallen asleep, until he flipped over sporting a hard on. “Got a little something else that needs some attention, Rodney.”

“Oh, you did _not_ just say that!” Rodney chuckled.

John grabbed the oil, drizzled some on his cock and balls, hissing at the cool oil on his hot flesh, and spread his legs. “Climb on.”

Removing his boxers, Rodney slithered his way up john’s body, spreading the oil and making John moan. He’d been half hard during the massage. Hearing his husband’s moan, and feeling hair-roughened flesh against sensitive nipples got him fully hard.

He cupped the back of John’s head, as John’s arms curled over his broad shoulders. One strong thigh was rubbing slickly against a hard, aching cock and he bent his head to lick his way into his husband’s mouth.

Rodney’s cock was nestled in the juncture where thigh met groin, sliding through the slippery oil. His hips drove him against John’s hard body again and again, and he felt strong, calloused hands pressing on his ass, pushing him tighter to the body writhing beneath him.

Panting, Rodney took in John’s sweat dewed face as he passed from gloating to bliss and felt sparks dancing up and down his spine. John’s lithe body undulated wantonly and he bit his bottom lip as his eyes rolled back in his head. Grunting deeply, he came in long, shuddering pulses.

Thrusting wildly against John in utter abandon, Rodney groaned as his vision whited out and he came chanting his husband’s name.

In the aftermath, Rodney and John murmured quietly in the darkness of their bed, laughing softly. They kissed and kissed and drifted into sleep. The house and the farm slumbered in silence.

The horses were asleep, occasionally nickering in the stillness of the stables. Bella slept on her plush cushion by the side of the bedroom door, paws occasionally twitching as she dreamed of chasing rabbits.

The two men slept entwined, one or the other occasionally moving to place a warm hand on one infant or the other, making sure they could feel the deep, even breathing, and they would fall back into sleep.

And they marveled, as they drifted back into dreams, at all the small, inconsequential, mundane things that added up to a life and to love and to such deep happiness.

**Author's Note:**

> I have had a great time writing about this universe and its inhabitants. I am, however, finished for the time being. It’s possible I will visit sometime in the future. I have certainly left the door open to return. Wide open. I do have a couple of ficlets that I’m working on.
> 
> No story gets written in a vacuum and there are people that I need to thank.
> 
> Firstly, I’d like to thank everyone who read my work and those who stayed for the series, as well as everyone who made suggestions, left kudos, or took the time to leave feedback. Although I didn’t use all the suggestions given to me, I did give them all some thought, and they were all deeply appreciated. I loved how you felt so connected to this world that you wanted to put your own stamp on it.
> 
> I hope that you continue to make suggestions; I may be intrigued enough to revisit this ‘verse sooner, rather than later. Or, you can write the story yourself (see Cast of characters for invitation and caveats)
> 
> It is my hope that I was able to entertain you, and perhaps touch some of you with this universe.
> 
> To my friends, (and you know who you are) thank you for your constant encouragement and support.
> 
> My thanks and gratitude to The Medicated Sheep and Debi C for adding your voices to this universe. I’m both pleased and honored that you contributed your vision.
> 
> I would also like to thank sheafrotherdon, who helped inspire this story even though she has no idea. A Farm In Iowa is one of my favorite stories in fandom. It grabbed my heart and never let go. And even though she broke my heart, The Barking Dog Winery was born at least partly because of that story.
> 
> The person who gets my biggest thanks is Astroskylark, my brilliant, beautiful, and talented offspring. Autumn and Wynter are loosely based on her. She put up with a lot of sandwiches when I got lost in writing and forgot to prepare a decent dinner.
> 
> In my mind, Jack and Daniel are busy at the winery, raising their daughters, and making fine wine. John and Rodney are raising Sabrina, Conner, Cassidy and horses. Both couples are happy and in love and will always be so.
> 
> I am absurdly comforted in knowing that this world and its inhabitants are living their lives, loving each other, and working according to the seasons and cycles of the Earth, and are there waiting for me whenever I care to visit.


End file.
